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D. RUPPERT. CUTT'INGJMPLEMENT.

APPLlCATlON FILED SEPT 24. 19: 9.

1,374,768. Patfiflted Apr. 12,1921.

DAVID RUPPERT, OF WESTMINSTER,

CUTTING IMPLEMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 24, 1919. Serial No. 326,025.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DAVID Rorrnnr, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVestminster, in the county of Carroll and State of Maryland,have invented new and useful Improvements in Cutting Implements, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvementsin cutting implements of the prune type and the principal object of the invention is to provide a device which may be supported H and operated by one hand of the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for manipulating the cutting blade by the opening and closing movement of the hand.

The invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a front view of the invention and showing how the same is attached to the hand.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4; is a detail view showing the device provided with a different form of cutter.

Fig. 5 is a view of a modification.

In these views 1 indicates a yoke-shaped member which has its stem 2 of tubularshape and its forks made of channel iron with their extremities flattened out to provide the spring members 3. A cross piece 4 is arranged intermediate the ends of the yoke member, on each side thereof and these cross pieces are slightly curved at their upper edges to provide a hand grip. A band 5 is secured to the spring members 3 of the yoke through which the hand is adapted to provided with a lateral projection 9 at the junction of its stem and body and this projection is adapted to engage with a small recess 10 formed in the fork of the member 1 when said member 7 is in its lowest posi-- tion. The shank 11 has one end held in the tubular stem 2 by means or" the cotter pin 12. This shank is of tubular shape and its lower end receives the stem of the station ary jaw 13, the stem being held in the shank by a pin or the like. The movable jaw 14 is pivoted to the jaw 13 by the screw bolt 15 and a spring 16 tends to hold said movable jaw in open position. These jaws are provided with cutting edges as will be understood. The rear end of the jaw 15 is provided with a plurality of openings 17 to re ceive the end of the link 18 which has its other end provided with an eye 19 which engages the projection 9.

It will thus be seen that when the han is passed into the yoke-shaped member 1, as shown in Fig. 1 with the fingers engaging the top of the member 7, when said fingers are closed the member 7 will be raised and thus the movable jaw will be closed through means of the link and projection. When the fingers are opened again the spring 16 will return the parts to their normal osition with the jaw open. The spring members 3 and the band 5 acts to grip the upper part of the hand to hold the implement on the hand and the thumb and fingers gripping the cross pieces 4 also act to support the device.

It will be seen that it is only necessary to open and shut the hand to cause the knives to open and shut and the whole device is supported by the hand so that the other hand is free.

It will also be seen that the device can be used for cutting vines and bushes or it may be used for overhead work such as in pruning trees and the like.

When desired I may remove the jaws shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and replace them by a fork-shaped knife 20, such as shown in Fig. 4. In this case the fork is placed in engagement with the limb to be cut and then the hand is twisted to give said fork 20 a turning movement to break the limb.

This device is useful for thinning corn as the corn to be removed may easily be cut thereby.

In cases where the tool is to be used for cutting the limbs from trees of great height Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

and the device is too heavy to hold with one hand I may provide a handle 21 on the shank 11' which is to be seized by the other hand of the user. This construction is shown in Fig. 5 and the handle is' made adjustable on the shank by securing said handle to a Sleeve 22 which is slidable on the shank and is held in adjusted position by means of a cotter pin or the like engaging any one of a plurality of holes 23 formed in said shank.

It will be understood that when the device is to be used for cutting limbs from trees of great height the short shank shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is removed and a long shank, provided with the holes 23, is substituted. In this case a longer rod '18 will have to be used.

' It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily apparent.

I desire it to be understood that I may make changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. A device of the class described comprising a yoke-shaped member having spring extremities, a spring band secured to said extremities for engaging the hand, a shank carried by the base of the yoke member, a knife connected with the shank,

member recessed to recelve portions 0 the.

hand, a shank connected with the tubular base, a knife carried by the shank, a second knife pivoted to the first knife, a movable member in the yoke member having a finger engaging part and means for connecting said movable member with the pivoted knife.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

DAVID RUPPERT. 

